Burning Alive
by earoozoo
Summary: Hermione awakens to find herself in the Darkest Hours, a vicious game designed to remind the wizarding world of the crimes of battling against Voldemort. When Draco appears at the Cornucopia too, what will Hermione do to survive? And how will her and Draco's past affect the games?
1. Awakening

The Battle of Hogwarts has been won, and the war is finished. But in its place, there stands oppression, the likes of which the world has never witnessed before. Muggles are under siege, and they have begun to recognize the horror that has darkly seeped into the pores of their existence. The muggle-born wizards and witches have been slaughtered in the thousands, and only a few remain. Hiding has become a scarce option; the Death Eaters are hunting down those who fought for the Light day-in, and day-out. The world has changed, and not for the better.

Hermione Granger awakened in a strange room. Her head was pounding, throbbing against her temples. A low groan escaped her mouth, and she noted that it echoed quietly around the room she was in. She yanked open her eyes, determined to find out where those bloody Death Eaters had dropped her this time. She was used to being thrown around by the bastards, but never had they dropped her in such a strange room before

Her golden-hazel eyes took in her surroundings, filling her with a mixture of fear and curiosity. It appeared that the bastards had dumped her in a metal holding cell. The only notable things in the room was a glass cylinder with a metal plate at the base in the far right hand corner, and a black tracksuit hung on the wall, with a dark red jacket next to it. _Just like Gryffindor colors_, she noted curiously. _What the hell is going on here?_

Carefully, Hermione eased herself up from the icy metal floor and wiped her hands on the rags that tattered her body. She had been kept in the basement of Voldemort's sprawling country estate for the two months since the war had finished, trapped in a dank, stinking cell that never saw the light of day. She'd known there were others with her, and what surprised her was that they weren't sent to rot in Askaban with the rest of the blood traitors and Mudbloods. She never assumed they would end up serving a purpose, but apparently she had been mistaken. _There has to be a reason I'm here_, she thought to herself.

She walked her emaciated body over to the clothing that hung suspended against the wall, and ran her fingers over the soft fabric, an unsolicited moan escaping her lips as she revels in the softness of the texture. Compared to the rough rags she'd been living in for the past two months, this material felt heavenly.

Hermione hastily stripped her rags over her head and pulled on the suit and jacket. For the first time in two months, she felt half-clean and warm in the clothes. Glancing down, she noticed a pair of leather boots and she slipped them over her bare feet, relishing the mere fact that there was actually something covering her feet for the first time in two months.

She only had a moment to relish the clothes on her body. The tube in the corner beeped loudly, causing her to jump.

"Attention tributes, you have twenty minutes to eat your meal and climb into the tube. If you refuse to enter the tube, you shall be killed."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the tube, both confused and skeptical about what was about to happen. With a crack, and small, wrinkled house elf appeared in her cell.

"Mudblood is to eat this food, now," muttered the elf, dropping a tray on the floor and disappearing with a crack.

Hermione eyed the food hungrily. In the cells at Voldemort's home, they had never once been fed things such as this. She could smell the chicken breasts resting on the tray, along with the roasted potatoes and gravy. Fresh bread rested next to a tall glass of cool orange juice, and a chocolate bar was there as well. She pounced on the tray, shoving the food between her lips hungrily. _Good God, this tastes amazing_. She momentarily forgot about the oncoming unknown event that began with her having the climb into the cylinder. She shoveled the food into her mouth, savoring the gorgeous taste of the fresh bread and orange juice, so sweet and acidic against her tongue she nearly sobbed.

Once the food had all disappeared and she had licked the plate clean, the grumpy house elf reappeared and whisked away the tray. Hermione wiped her hands on her old rags and dropped them to the floor once more, taking in the room around her again. Her hazel eyes landed on the cylinder, and she calculated she had roughly two minutes until she had to climb into it. _What in the world is going on here? I've been fed, clothed, and now I'm expected to get in there? Where will it take me?_ All the questions buzzed around her brain, but she had no answers. She guessed she would find out when the cylinder took her somewhere.

"One minute," the cylinder announced.

She steeled her nerves and rolled her shoulders back, and crossed the room to step into the cylinder. The door slid silently shut behind her, and she could feel the buzz of magic and the door sealed. She raised a hand to touch the glass, and felt a light vibration running through it. _Definitely magic_, she decided. She yanked her hand back when she felt herself rise from the floor. Looking down, she noted that the base of the cylinder was lifting her upwards.

Layers of metal, concrete, and finally dirt were passed until she rose into an outside area with fresh air that made tendrils of her hair swing into her face. The sun blinded her eyes momentarily, and when she opened her eyes she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips.

Hermione found herself standing in a circle with what looked to be a golden horn in the center, with weapons and backpacks scattered around at varying distances. She surmised that the best quality goods would be at the center, and she was not mistaken: in the middle rested two wands, objects she hadn't seen nor touched for two months since the war.

Next, she noticed the other people standing around her on identical plates. No one was moving for the sheer shock of what they were seeing, and the confusion threatened to swallow her. Hermione scanned her eyes around the circle of 'tributes,' so they had been named, and noted that Neville and Dean Thomas were standing not too far away from her, looking around in awe.

They were standing in what appeared to be an abandoned, ruined city. The buildings had collapsed, there was apparently no other life surrounding them, and the gentle breeze that caressed her face smelled distinctly of rubble and brick dust. Skyscrapers that would have previously reached to incredible heights were shortened and broken, with broken bits and pieces lying around them. She scanned around the place and could not, for the life of her, decide how large this city was, nor what the purpose of this entire setting was for her and the other tributes.

Suddenly, a trumpet sounded out of the sky and all the tributes looked upwards. Voldemort's mark had appeared in the sky, and when it disappeared, Voldemort's face was hovering over the contestants, his wicked grin making them all cringe into themselves. Still, no one moved. It appeared that their feet had been sealed to the base of the cylinder when it rose to the surface. Hermione tried to move herself, so she could run at the devil's face and scream herself hoarse at him, but she found her voice lost to her. _Silencing spells_, she thought, wondering when the Death Eater's had cast it, for she did not remember.

Voldemort's red snake eyes narrowed at the tributes, and then he spoke. "Welcome, tributes. I understand this must be confusing for you, but you are a group of select people who are to participate in an event that is to become a traditional reminder of the results of trying to fight against my forces. Today, you stand in a ruined city. In the middle, between you all is the Cornucopia. Inside this horn are two wands, among other weapons. Why? Well, allow me to explain." He closed his eyes momentarily and inhaled deeply, smiling coldly at the contestants. "Two months ago, when I killed Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in the Final Duel, it was decided that a reminder would be needed for the rest of the world of the consequences of fighting for the Light, and herein it was set forth that the Darkest Hours would be created. The Darkest Hours is a game, of the most vicious kind, that is shown to the international wizarding community every year. Twenty-four of you have been selected, all of you Mudbloods, blood traitors, warriors for the light, and defectors alike. Only one of you comes out of this game alive.

"Within this city are traps, perhaps even a dragon or two. The Death Eaters will be monitoring your progress, ensuring that you fight for the title of Champion. If you refuse to fight, it will be ensured that we can find motivation for you to do so.

"The rules are simple: kill, or be killed. There can only be one Champion, to be crowned at the end of the competition when the game is over. Believe me when I say that you have no choice in this matter. You must compete. It is not an option. You have been kept alive specifically for this reason, and you shall do your duty to serve as a reminder to the wizarding world. In thirty seconds, the competition will begin and you will be unstuck and unsilenced. In thirty seconds, you begin the Darkest Hours and the fight to the death. All the best of luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

Voldemort's face disappeared from the sky and a countdown replaced his voice. _Thirty seconds until I begin a fight to the death with friends and foe alike. Thirty seconds. What do I do? Think, damn it Hermione!_ She looked around hastily and spotted a building in the distance. Not as broken as the others, top floors still in tact in some places. She knew she had to get as far away from this area as possible, common sense told her that, despite her desire to get to one of those wands.

"Ten, nine, eight…"

It was nearly time. Just as she was scanning the outskirts of the golden horn for some supplies she could take, anything at all, she caught a flash of white blond hair and grey eyes piercing into her. _Draco?_ Her heart leapt into her mouth and memories flashed before her eyes. _What the fuck is he doing here?_

She saw him mouth something to her, but before she could register what he was saying, the gong sounded and the Darkest Hours had begun. Without turning, she sprinted away as fast as she could, doing her best to ignore the screams echoing from the Cornucopia.

"Just like the war," she breathed to herself. "Just like the fucking war, Hermione. Survive."

It was only when Hermione had slowed to a consistent jogging pace to reach her designated building that she thought about what Draco had been saying: her name, over and over in wonderment. Her heart gave a painful tug and she remembered the day of the Battle of Hogwarts. _No_, she thought firmly to herself. That would have to wait. For now, she had to run.

A/n: Hi everyone, hope the first chapter was alright. I'll try and stay updated, but what with my final exams coming up it might be a little difficult. Anyway! This is all very exciting and I hope you liked it. It's a very Draco/Hermione based fic.

All characters and the like are copyrighted to JK Rowling and Susan Collins, respective authors of the Harry Potter and Hunger Games series. These works are merely inspired by their ideas and novels. Cheers.


	2. Re-Acquaintance

Hermione had been jogging for around half an hour when she stumbled to a stop in front of the building she had been searching for on the skyline. It towered above her with shattered windows, but the structure was still strong. She was panting and sweating; it was warm in the city, and she hadn't run or had any exercise for two months. Her breathing was very labored and she could hear her heart pounding in her chest.

"Alright, Hermione, here you are. Find cover in that building and recuperate. That is your goal now," she muttered to herself.

Quietly, slowly, she eased open the large double doors at the front of the broken building. Scattered debris lay all around the building, which appeared to be either a legal firm or an accounting business, judging from the dull corporate title on the building. Her footsteps echoed softly through the building, as did her breaths. _Out of shape_, she thought to herself. Quickly, she ran to the stairs and began to make the climb up to a higher floor, keeping an ear out for any unusual noise. She doubted, however, that most people had run away the direction she had. _Unless _he_ followed you_, she thought unprecedentedly.

Her chest ached and she gasped, doubling over with the strength of the memory.

_"Malfoy? What are you doing?" she yelled at him, firing yet another Stunning spell in the direction of the Death Eaters plaguing the grounds of Hogwarts._

_ "I… I'm here for you, Granger. I defected," he explained briefly, firing a Petrificus Totalus at one of his old Death Eater colleagues. _

_ Hermione faltered in her attacks. "For me?" she whispered, stepping closer to the blond, noticing the silver flecks in his grey eyes. His face was flushed from fighting, and his white blond hair was tousled. He looked ridiculously gorgeous, though this was hardly the time to be noticing that in the heat of battle._

_ He dragged a finger gently down her cheek. "Always for you, Hermione. Don't you remember what I told you all those months ago? After that time in the Prefect's bathroom?"_

_ She fired a speedy spell towards the Death Eaters again and turned back to Draco. "I didn't think you remembered…" she murmured. "After you left Hogwarts, I thought you were gone for good. I thought you'd forgotten about me."_

_ Draco gave her a lopsided smirk that lit up his face. "How could I forget the most amazing night of my life? Remember what I told you?"_

_ Her eyes shone and she didn't even look as she fired more spells towards the oncoming flood of Death Eaters. "Yes."_

_ "Always," he whispered, bringing her close and kissing her passionately on the lips. "Always, Hermione. If we lose this…"_

_ "Don't say that," she scolded. They fired more spells at the increasing number of Death Eaters flooding the school, forcing them backwards into the Great Hall. "Harry and Ron will finish this. We will finish this."_

_ She turned to him again and kissed him passionately. "Always, Draco. Remember that," she said forcefully as she ran towards the Death Eaters with Neville and Aberforth by her side. She heard him call out her name, then she was gone._

Hermione gasped as she reeled back to the reality she was facing now, where tears carved hot tracks down her face. _Now is not the time_, she desperately reminded herself. Now was definitely not the time to remember Draco, to remember what he had said, what they had done, what he had done for her. She had to survive. She shoved the image of him mouthing her name across the Cornucopia into the darkest corner of her mind and continued up the steep stairs of the building.

When she reached what appeared to be the tenth floor of the building, she heaved a great sigh of relief and threw open the door to the offices that were on the floor. Well, she had assumed there would be offices, but what greeted her was an entirely different type of strange.

Inside the floor she had just entered, was what appeared to be a forest. Thickets of trees made the place seem dense and humid. It was definitely magic, and for a moment she feared there would be something hiding inside the thick branches and leaves that shrouded the view from the door where she was standing. Slowly, she reached down and picked up a fallen branch, and flung it into the room. The only noise that greeted her was the soft fall of the thrown branch onto the cushion of leaves on the floor of the room, and she let out a sigh of relief, stepping into the forested room and closing the stairwell door firmly behind her. For good measure, she shoved another fallen branch through the handles of the stairwell door, so at least any intruders would make a racket trying to get into the room.

Treading heavily on the leaves, dragging her exhausted and fatigued body forward, she found a copse among the trees where she would be able to set up a shelter, a place for her to rest after an exhausting morning or afternoon or whatever time of day it was. A quick glance between the branches at the sun suggested early noon, so she assumed the game had begun perhaps late morning.

Hermione settled down into the leaves with a grunt, stretching out her sore legs and removing the leather boots from her aching feet. She tugged the backpack from her shoulders and settled it on her laps to survey the contents.

"A small knife, blanket, empty water bottle, box of matches, and a wooden board," she listed off as she pulled the objects from the bag. The knife, at least, was a good thing. It was then, however, that she noticed how parched she was after having run throughout the afternoon. Her body was not used to the kind of exercise it used to get on her adventures with Harry and Ron when they were searching for horcruxes.

The thought of her two late best friends sent a tearing pain through her chest, and she bit back a scream of agony. The mere thought of them made horror and hatred coil in her gut, horror for the exceptional loss she had experienced during the war in watching Voldemort kill the pair of them in the Final Duel, and hatred for the creature who was now ruling the wizarding world. She closed her eyes, struggling to regain her composure as flashes of green, blue, and grey flashed before her eyes, before a final flash of crimson red. Gasping, Hermione yanked her eyes open and dug her nails into her fists. _I will not give these people the satisfaction of seeing me hurt. I will not give _him_ the satisfaction of seeing me cry about what he has done to this world._ With great difficulty, she regained her composure and decided to see if she could tap any of the trees with the small knife for some water.

Standing quickly, Hermione turned to the tree nearest to her and stabbed the knife through the back. It was harder than she thought it was, so it took a good three or four swings at the tree before a small trickle of water began to flow between the gashes. With a yelp of triumph, she brought her lips to the hole in the tree and carefully tested the water with her tongue, tasting for anything suspicious. _Can't be too careful_, she reminded herself and she rolled a few drops around her mouth.

Deciding that the water was clean, she put her lips back to the tree and gulped for as long as she could, filling her belly with water and rehydrating herself. She lifted her bottle up and filled that with water as well, before sitting back down on the ground. Next, she carefully considered possible food sources. She wasn't hungry currently, but she knew it would come later if she weren't able to find a food supply soon.

Hermione felt her eyes drooping in the warmth and comfort of her copse in the forest, and decided that a nap could do her no harm, knowing that after two months of very light sleeping, she would awaken to any noise that omitted from outside the safety of the trees. Her eyelids closed, and soon enough she was breathing gently, asleep against the soft leaves.

Hermione awoke with a jolt, momentarily disorientated about her surroundings. She remembered waking up in the metal room, the beginning of the Darkest Hours, Draco, and finally where she was. She stopped and listened carefully, wanting to ensure there had been no changes since she had last been awake. Silence greeted her, and the only difference was that the shadows of the trees were markedly darker than before, suggesting the sun had gone down a fair way.

Her stomach rumbled and she decided it was time to leave the comfort of the forest to journey and find food somewhere in the building. She was sure there would be a source somewhere here.

Silently, Hermione stood and gathered her backpack, drinking more water from her bottle and refilling it from the hole she had made earlier that was still leaking. Ever so quietly, she moved out of the copse and back towards the door, breathing a sigh of relief at finding the stick she had placed in between the handles still in place. She yanked it out, and tugged open the stairwell doors, stepping out onto the stone steps. Her footsteps echoed up and down the stairwell, and it was then that she heard the disturbance.

"What was that?" came a soft female voice from down below. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite pin a name on it.

Hermione held her breath and didn't move an inch, straining her ears to hear the intruders further down the stairwell.

"Someone else must be in here," came another voice, male this time.

_Neville?_ Hermione silently moved towards the gap in between the stairs and poked her head over the hand bars.

"Who's there?" she called out tentatively, gripping her knife tighter in her hand.

"Hermione? Is that you?" The female yelled up to her and simultaneously poked her head over the bars as well, looking upwards, revealing a mane of shocking red hair that could only belong to a Weasley.

"Ginny!" Hermione screamed. She threw herself down the stairs without a thought, careening into Neville and throwing her arms around his neck. "What the hell are both of you doing in here?"

"Good to see you too, Hermione." Neville grinned as he extricated himself from Hermione's grip.

She looked up at his face and saw his lip was cut and bleeding, as well as a wound right about his eye but neither was serious. She then looked over at Ginny and felt her heart fall through the floor when she saw the witch pointing a very long, pointy blade right at her heart. She gulped and shot her two friends a betrayed look.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, wincing as Ginny gently prodded the blade between her ribs. "I thought you'd be pleased to see me, I thought you'd…"

"We'd what, Hermione? Forgive you for what you did? For what you brought on us? These are the Darkest Hours, Hermione. Here, there is no mercy and I'll be damned if my family name dies with me, do you hear?" screeched Ginny, her body shaking as tears ran down her cheeks.

"What are you talking about?" yelled Hermione, angry and confused about what the young Weasley girl was talking about.

Ginny sneered viciously. The girl had changed in two months. "Harry is dead, Ron is dead, George and Fred, Mum and Dad, Bill and Charlie and Percy, they're all dead because of you," she spat. "_YOU!_ You were the one who was weak enough to fall for whatever game that fucking Malfoy prat was playing with you. You gave away secrets, and they are all fucking DEAD because of you!"

Hermione sputtered and stammered as her words refused to leave her. "I… I don't have a-any idea what you're going on about. I told you about Draco, I told you everything about him, and you think it was a game? He's here, he's in here with us, you moron!"

She saw Ginny recoil, and was relieved when the sword was lowered. She noted that Neville had not spoken a word through all of this, and surmised that he stood neither here nor there in these games. _One less person to kill would be a gift to him_, she realized. _And myself_. It was a grudging admittance but admittance nonetheless. The rules were indeed simple.

"He's in here? He's in the Darkest Hours? Why?" asked Ginny, sheathing her sword and wiping a strand of hair out of the dried blood that crusted a cut just below her earlobe.

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. "You clearly missed the tiny fact that he _fought for our side in the War for me_, Ginerva," Hermione spat, indignant about the fact that Ginny hadn't seen his flashing white-blond hair at the Cornucopia.

The other witch paled noticeably, and looked down guiltily at her feet. "I'm sorry for saying what I said, 'Mione. I didn't mean it. They're dead because of the Dark Lord, not you. I didn't realize Malfoy was a defector."

Hermione turned her nose up, fighting not to let tears slip down her cheeks that threatened to fall at the reminder of the loss she had suffered at the end of the war. "They're dead. There's nothing we can do. We should focus on what we're doing here now. Have you guys passed any food sources?" she asked, turning her attention to the more immediate situation. _The past can wait for now_, she reminded herself briefly.

Neville shook his head slowly. "We only just got to this place. Everyone's been wandering around trying to figure out what's going on."

"Who's dead? Do you know?" Hermione found the question slipped easily off tongue. She supposed she had been desensitized to such questions.

"Dean, Parvati, Amelia Bones, Colin, Shunpike, Katie, Ernie. There were a few others we didn't know, but I reckon about half of us are left. Some others named Brigitte, Samuel, Peter, Ingrid. Two others just titled 'Mudblood A' and 'B'." Neville scowled, something he didn't usually do. "Didn't you see the sky? After the battle at the Cornucopia?"

Hermione shook her head. "I fell asleep, ran as fast as I could away from that horrid place. I was sleeping upstairs here. What happened?"

"A canon blasted twelve times, and their faces were shown in the sky with their names underneath," Ginny explained. "We think it happens after someone's killed. The fight at the Cornucopia was awful."

Hermione realized then that a weight had been lifted off her shoulders when Neville hadn't said Draco's name. _He's alive. He's alive, thank the Lord_. She knew she had to find him. He wouldn't kill her, and she would never hurt him in a million years. But that would have to wait until later.

She nodded. "Alright. We need to find food. I suggest searching the other floors of this building first, and if there's nothing here, we'll head outside again. If anyone else enters here, we kill him or her on sight. Understood?"

Neville and Ginny nodded grimly.

"Right then. Let's go," she said, leading the way downstairs, her knife still gripped tightly in her hand.

The three of them quietly stepped down the stairs, their footsteps softly echoing up and down the stairwell. Hermione kicked down every door, Neville and Ginny wielding their weapons behind her. Each room greeted them with something different: a beach, a park, a normal office room filled with desks and chairs, a room completely filled with filing cabinets. Despite their efforts, they were yet to come across any food.

Hermione finally kicked open the door to the ground floor where she had entered hours earlier, and let out a frustrated sigh as her stomach growled loudly, reminding her of her famished and emaciated state, which was not being helped by these stupid games.

"Right," she muttered. "We're going to have to head outside. We can come back here when the sun starts to come out again. It would be safest to move at night, the darkness will cover us."

She heard her companions suck in breaths, clearly not excited at the prospect of heading out into the open. Neither was she, but they just had to find a food source.

Slowly, Hermione eased open the front doors of the building and made her way out into the cool night air. Silence greeted her, and she could yet again smell the brick dust in the air. Ginny and Neville followed as quietly as they possibly could behind her, weapons drawn. Hermione silently indicated to go to the left, and they nodded. They started walking steadily through the rubble-ridden streets, searching for a possible café or canteen or _anywhere_ where there might just possibly be a scrap to eat.

They'd been walking for roughly ten minutes when a loud crash echoed through the empty streets of the city.

"What was that?" whispered Neville, looking towards the source of the noise.

Hermione did the same; having been in a cellar for two months meant she was well accustomed to locating noises in any given area, particularly an enclosed one. "Well, better go and check it out, hadn't we?" She grinned maniacally, suddenly craving an adrenaline rush.

She ran off on silent feet, her companions grudgingly pursuing her. They soon came to a smoking crevice. They quickly ducked into the shadows of the broken buildings around them. Hermione could smell smoking flesh, and barely withheld whatever remained in her stomach at the sight of a smoking arm across the crater. Ginny, on the other hand, was not so lucky.

"Shh!" Hermione whispered. "There's someone there."

A figure was standing over the arm on the other side of the crater, wielding what looked to be one of the two precious wands in their hand.

"Got what she deserved, trying to steal our bloody supplies," they muttered darkly. "I don't like killing, but I'll be damned if I lose these games to some fucking ex-Death Eaters."

"Hey, watch your fucking mouth, Jordan. We're not all shit," a familiar voice defended.

Hermione sucked in a small gasp, immediately recognizing the tones of Draco's voice. _What is he doing with Lee?_ Her question would have to go unanswered, however. Lee and Draco stepped out from behind the smoking crater, delicately walking around the discarded limbs of whomever they had just killed. Risking a glimpse away from the blond, Hermione saw the face of Millicent Bulstrode.

"No surprises there," she heard Ginny breathe.

They pushed further back into the shadows as another figure emerged from behind the crater. A girl they had never seen before from Hogwarts was with Draco and Lee, wielding what looked to be an axe and a small knife in either hand.

"Let's get moving. We need to get back to the supplies," the girl said, brushing her jet-black hair out of her eyes. Blood smeared across her forehead.

Hermione kept her eyes trained on the lithe figure of Draco, who had a large knife gripped in his hand. She heard her swearing at Lee again, and felt her heart leap into her mouth when Lee slammed Draco into the wall of one of the buildings, pressing the point of his wand into his throat.

"Watch your mouth, Malfoy. I have no qualms with killing you. You're only alive because you killed Shunpike, understood?" Jordan snarled.

Draco pushed him away and straightened up his jacket. He nodded reluctantly. "Understood."

"Stay focused, Malfoy. We're going to find Granger, Weasley, and Longbottom, and eliminate our top three competitors." The girl tucked her knife into her belt. "I refuse to lose to those three, as famous as they are. I plan on being very fucking rich after this. The rewards I will reap from winning this bloody competition, it will be enough to leave me satisfied for two lifetimes, I reckon."

Jordan and the girl laughed. "True, Violet. Very true," he chuckled, turning his back to Draco and moving forward with her.

As they were walking away, Hermione found it impossible to rip her eyes away from the back of the blonds' head. To make her heart race even more, he turned and his grey, gorgeous eyes locked right with hers. A flash of recognition crossed his face, and then it was gone, replaced with stony fear, and then nothing. He turned right around and kept walking with the girl and Jordan. Hermione did her best to pretend that she wasn't resisting running after him and flinging her arms around his neck, so tempted to press him close to her and smell him, just be near him after months of separation.

When they were out of view, Hermione made a snap decision. "We're going to follow them. They have supplies. They'll have food. We need to follow them."

Ginny growled. "Are you sure its not just because your _lover boy_ is with them?" she said, spitting the words as if they were venom.

Hermione whirled on her and held her knife equal with the redhead's eye. Her arm did not shake. "What did I tell you about him? Do you remember what I said?"

The other girl nodded, whimpering slightly when she noted that Hermione's arm was stock still.

"Good. Keep that in mind and I will not harm you when you mention him in that context again. I will do anything for him. _Anything_. I will go as far as you would have done for Harry and Ron. He is all I have now." Her voice shook, and she lowered her arm. Ginny heaved a sigh of relief.

"Alright. Let's go then, or we'll lose them." Neville stood and led the way from their hiding place, and the three of them silently began to track the other trio.

Hermione remembered Draco's eyes meeting hers. _I have to find him_, she thought desperately. _He really is all I have now_. And the loneliness that echoed in that statement was enough to make her quicker her steps towards him.

A/n: Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed the second chapter. I'll be updating again soon. More danger will be on the way! All characters and the like are copyrighted to JK Rowling and Susan Collins, respective authors of the Harry Potter and Hunger Games series. These works are merely inspired by their ideas and novels. Cheers.


	3. Taken

**A/n: This is where the M rating comes in, there is sex in here (all the better, if you ask me). Thanks!**

* * *

Hermione, Ginny, and Neville snuck after the three other tributes, careful to keep a wary distance between themselves as their opponents. Hermione's eyes never left the back of Draco's head, watching the dim moonlight dance on his white-gold locks. The trio in front of them never turned around once, assured in their safety with Lee carrying one of the precious wands. Hermione and her counterparts barely dared to breathe too loudly, for fear that Lee would turn and slaughter them without a second thought.

"We're nearly there, I think. It's in here," came Violet's voice. She pointed her axe at a nearly invisible crack between two fallen buildings. It was, indeed, the perfect hiding spot.

Hermione slowed to a stop and ducked behind a large chunk of wall five or so feet away from the gap between buildings. Ginny and Neville followed her lead. Lee stopped in front of the gap and waved the wand, muttering what sounded to be an access spell to get through the wards they had placed up around their supplies. _That must have been how they knew Millicent was trying to get to their stuff_, Hermione thought to herself.

The three other tributes entered the small gap one at a time, Draco entering last. Hermione nearly called out to him when he turned around, and once again his eyes landed directly on the place where she was hiding in the dark. How he knew where she was, she would never know.

He finally entered the gap and Hermione saw the faint shimmer as their protective wards closed around them. With a huff, she slouched against the wall and slid to the ground. "Right," she whispered, fearing they may still be able to hear her. "We need to find a place to rest, somewhere nearby this place so we don't lose it in all the rubble."

Nodding, Ginny and Neville stood with her, and the three of them silently searched the surrounding area for a safe hiding place. Ginny managed to find a room in the building opposite where the others were keeping their supplies. Like the forest room Hermione had found, this one was enchanted also: it was by a lake, a huge expanse of water stretching out before them. Yet, there was something dark about this place, some kind of evil force emanating from within that told them they should not disturb the water, lest they want to test their fates.

It made Hermione scowl. Water, so close they could touch it, yet they were forbidden to drink. She thanked her lucky stars she had found water in the tree, and gingerly shared some with the other two, who hadn't had any since they'd been taken to the metal holding cells before the game.

Under cover of brambles and a small thicket of trees, the trio lay down to rest.

"I'll take first watch, you two get some shut eye," said Hermione. She had slept well enough in her forest room to ensure their protection.

Immediately, Ginny and Neville were fast asleep, curling in on each other for comfort.

The silence of the lake room brought with it the churning of thought Hermione was not a stranger to. She was used to over thinking situations, re-thinking them, and then analyzing them further. But this time, it was different. Her mind flitted through the war, to the useless hunt for Horcruxes, to the death of all those who loved her and all those who cared. _Except for one_, she thought longingly, and found herself strangely staring towards the place where she knew Draco would be. Was he awake, as she was? Was he thinking of her?

She shook her head of the thoughts, doing her utmost to keep her head and not suffer another onslaught of memories, but too late: they swung through her mind like a knife through her flesh.

_ She raced out into the fray, firing as many spells as she could manage at the Death Eaters, giants, and acromantulas that were making their way across the Hogwarts grounds. Again and again, she dodged, shielded, fired, her mind set on winning the bloody battle even if she had to do it herself._

_ And then it stopped. The creatures and Death Eaters stopped running at her, the dementors took flight towards the Forbidden Forest, and silence crushed the battlefield. All she heard was her own breathing. She looked to her right, and saw Kingsley's confused and exhausted eyes meet her own, reflecting her own confusion at the sudden change._

_ "What's happening?" she called out._

_ Too soon, her answer was presented to her. Over the hill came Voldemort, a cold, victorious grin on his face. The Elder Wand rested in his hand, and she felt her heart falter._

_ "You have fought valiantly," Voldemort said in his high, cold voice. "I congratulate all of you on your efforts. However, things have changed. I have the upper hand. Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley have challenged me to a duel, in order to determine the outcome of this War. I have accepted. Bring them forward, Bellatrix. Let us begin."_

_ Hermione felt her stomach fall through the floor as her two best friends were levitated into a protected circle in which the duel would take place. _What the hell are they playing at?! _She looked at them desperately, fearing for them as she had never feared for anyone else in her life._

_ Bellatrix dumped them on their fronts in the circle, and tossed their wands in after them. Everyone had stopped, and was staring at the circle, waiting, watching. Voldemort stepped in._

_ "You will lose, Harry Potter. You and your blood traitor friend will not survive this. Would you like to know why?" asked Voldemort, grinning grotesquely at the pair._

_ Hermione heard Harry snarl. "Why's that, Tom?"_

_ Voldemort scowled at the use of his previous name. "Because, you fool, the Elder Wand is officially my own. I killed Snape, and there is nothing to be done for it now."_

_ Hermione spluttered, her voice caught in her throat despite her urge to scream at her friends to get out, get out of there now! There was no chance against that wand._

_ Harry faltered and glanced at Ron, grim. "He's dead?"_

_ Voldemort smiled in response. He raised his wand, and fired a killing curse at Ron. His wand ceased the curse for a moment, but the next he was lying on the floor, his face blank. His body was now a shell. He was dead._

_ "NO!" screamed Hermione, making to run towards the circle. Strong arms grabbed her from behind and held her back. She fought and kicked as she watched Harry stare down at his dead best friend. Voldemort merely stood there, enjoying the look on Harry's face in a sickening fashion. It made Hermione's blood rage through her veins, and she wanted nothing more than to break free from the idiot who was holding her. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, RIDDLE! I WILL KILL YOU, I SWEAR IT," she screamed, her voice breaking as sobs began to wrack her body, sobs of hopelessness and despair._

_ She watched, as if from afar, as Voldemort raised his wand once more, and fired a flash of green light at Harry. She saw his body fall, and she gave up. She went limp in whoever's arms were holding her, and shut her eyes._

_ "It is done," said Voldemort, stepping from the circle. "Kill all those but for the ones I have told you to leave. They will come with me when you are finished," he instructed his Death Eaters._

_ Hermione heard no more, as she was Stunned. She fell to the ground and, just before her eyes closed, she caught a flash of silver and platinum blond._

Hermione jerked herself out of the vicious flashback, desperately wiping away the hot tracks of tears that were being carved down her face. It was only then, however, that she realized something was amiss.

She crouched, glancing behind her and seeing the Ginny and Neville had woken too. She hated how her memories swept her out of the present.

There was a significant change that had sparked their notice: the water on the lake was rippling.

Carefully, and ever so slowly, Hermione poked her head over the bramble bushes. An idiotic tribute, blond and gorgeous by the looks of it, was gulping down the water from the lake. _Fleur_, Hermione thought to herself, certain of it. _Who else could have that kind of perfect blond hair in a game of death?_

Ginny went to run towards the other girl, but Hermione held her back. Something was happening at the entrance to their room and in the lake itself, and she would prefer none of them were caught in the fray.

With a gasp of fright, Hermione and Ginny flung themselves back from the bushes as a huge spiked tentacle emerged from the lake with speed they had never witnessed before. It grabbed a screaming Fleur and dragged her into the depths of the lake. In a flash, she was gone, and the lake was still once more.

"Well," whispered Neville in a pained voice. "That was quick."

The canon sounded around the arena. _One more down_, Hermione thought ruefully.

"What the fuck was that?"

Hermione whipped her head towards the door and forced down the loud gasp that nearly escaped. Draco was standing at the door with Violet, brandishing their weapons, eyes wide at what they had just witnessed.

"Well, it's a fucking giant squid with a taste for humans, naturally," said Violet, rolling her eyes. "Stupid girl, even I can smell the Dark magic in this place! I think we should check and see if she had anyone else with her. We can eliminate some others."

Ginny chose that opportune moments to let out a gasp, and it echoed around the lake. Draco and Violet turned to face in their direction, and the black haired girl smiled viciously. "Thought so."

"RUN!" whispered Hermione as loud as she dared. "Go, NOW!"

Ginny and Neville turned on their heels and dashed away. Hermione knew that what she was about to do was by far the most idiotic thing she'd ever done in her life, but she stayed right where she was, and watched Violet and Draco approach her with leisure. She needed to make sure that they didn't hunt the other two, she needed to save at least someone, even if she hadn't during the War.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here, Draco. It's the Golden Girl, one third of the not-so-complete trio. Do you want to kill her? Everyone all over the world's heard about your prejudices against this one." Violet sneered at Hermione and leveled her axe with her neck.

Hermione gulped and risked a glance at Draco. He looked so pale and withdrawn, but then again, so did everyone in this arena, having been kept in Voldemort's dungeons for so long. His eyes were burning, though. They were so alive it took Hermione's breath away. The liquid silver gave her a quick once over, and then he shrugged. "Personally, I think we should take her to Lee. If we keep her, we can use her as leverage over the Weaslette and Longbottom. They're both in the arena somewhere. They'll protect her."

She felt her heart fall at the sudden coldness of his eyes.

Violet nodded. "Alright. Come on, princess. We're going to go see Lee."

With Violet's axe poised against her jugular, Hermione didn't argue. She walked behind Draco, with Violet bringing up the rear, to the gap between the two fallen buildings. Lee was standing watch, and he grinned viciously when he saw the prize his two counterparts had returned with.

"Hello, Hermione. You haven't changed a bit since the War," he stated as he lowered the wards to allow them entry.

"And I see you've become a vicious bastard, Jordan. Nice to see you, too," she spat.

He raised his eyebrows. "I stand corrected, you swear now. How delectable. I suppose you saw what I did to that bitch of an ex-Death Eater, huh?" He shrugged. "She had it coming. Things have changed since the War. Everyone's dead, and then there's us. I do not plan on being another one of those victims on Voldemort's list, understand?"

With that, he led the way into the crevice and darkness swallowed them whole.

Hermione blinked her eyes as she emerged into a large living chamber, and for a moment she thought she was dreaming. Beautiful purple stalactites that glowed and glittered in an unseen light source surrounding her. It was gorgeous, and it was ruefully that she admitted that, especially given the circumstances.

Lee settled himself in a low chair next to a towering pile of supplies, all of which she assumed came from the Cornucopia. Food, water, weapons: they had everything. He casually flicked the wand between his fingers, ignoring her until she was forced to her knees in front of him by Violet.

Hermione grunted and shrugged off the other girl's hand. Through all of this, she noted that Draco had said nothing. He was out of view, but she knew him well enough to know that with his silence came the stolid passive expression he had worn throughout all of their sixth year. She struggled to keep the memories at bay. _Concentrate, now is not the time_, she reminded herself. Forcefully, she refocused on her current situation.

"Why did you bring me here? Why not just kill me? That is the aim of the game, after all, Jordan," she pointed out, attempting to ignore the wand in his hand.

Jordan looked pointedly at her. "Why would I kill you now, Granger? You'll be useful, and you'll be the last person I kill in this arena when it's just the two of us."

Hermione heard Violet snicker under her breath, something that Lee ignored. "We can use you to get to Ginny and Neville. Your two mates will do anything to save you."

She swallowed, knowing he was right. "Well, until then, what do you plan on doing with me?"

Lee grinned. "Why, we'll keep you here, dear Hermione. We'll keep a close eye on you. Draco, you _know_ Granger well enough, you're in charge of her. I'm assuming I can trust you, so she's all yours. Take her to your quarters."

Hermione gulped and looked up into the passive grey eyes she had grown so accustomed to before the war. Draco pulled her to her feet and pointed his sword evenly between her shoulder blades. "Walk," he commanded, his voice like ice.

She obeyed, following his directions through a maze of tunnels that seemed to span underneath the two broken buildings. Obviously the upper levels were base, where Lee and Violet kept watch over things. She assumed they had quarters too, and was amazed that such an area could be in the arena. _Whoever designed this was a genius_, she thought grudgingly.

"In here," Draco muttered.

Hermione turned to the left and entered a cavern, small but spacious enough to be called a bedroom. It appeared that Lee had done the kind thing and transfigured something into a bed for Draco. A small lamp sat in the corner with a flame burning in it that threw shadows across the jagged surfaces of the walls. It wasn't wholly unpleasant here, but she knew she was in enemy hands, at least while Lee was present.

She jumped when she felt Draco brush her hair off her neck with a finger, sending a shiver down her spine. _How can he still do that? I'm his prisoner for fucks sake_, she thought as he repeated the action.

Draco emitted a low growl in his throat. "Good God, woman. The things you do to me," he muttered, low enough that she scarcely heard him. He turned Hermione around to face him, his face strained and dark eyes molten with what appeared to be anger. "What are you doing here? Why would you just stand there and not run from Violet? You don't know what those two are like, the pair of them."

Hermione scowled and shoved Draco's hand away from her shoulder where it had been resting. "I was… saving someone."

The man standing before her smirked, making her heart jump. "As always, Granger."

"How did you guys find this place?" she asked quietly. "And how long do you plan on keeping me as your pet?" she spat as she threw herself down on his bed.

Draco snickered but remained standing, sheathing his sword. "We formed an alliance after the initial battle yesterday at the Cornucopia. Decided that, being the three most prominent fighters who managed to kill the majority, we might as well be a team." He shrugged. "Naturally, we haven't discussed what's going to happen when everyone else is dead."

Hermione nodded. "It was the same for me. That is, I formed an alliance with some people. Not that it lasted long."

"How did you get so close to us?"

"We followed you," Hermione admitted. "Camped out in that place with the lake and the giant squid. I expect my companions are far from there by now."

Draco raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought someone was behind us. Kept looking back to check."

_So it wasn't that he could sense me_, Hermione thought thankfully. If that were the case, things really would have gone too far.

Draco and Hermione sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, each contemplating what had changed since the war had ended, particularly between them.

Draco broke the silence first, coughing into his palm. "Right, then. Since you're my charge, you'll have to sleep in here. You aren't permitted to leave this room. I will bring you food and water, and take you to the bathroom when you need—"

"There's a bathroom here?" Hermione asked, incredulous.

He rolled his eyes. "Lee _does_ have a wand, Granger. Of course we have a fucking bathroom."

"I see you haven't lost your love of profanity," muttered Hermione.

Draco stiffened. The reference to their past seemed to have make him turn to stone. He regained himself quickly, however, and stood. "I wouldn't venture upstairs if I were you. More often than not, you'll find Violet and Lee snogging or fucking on the way up so I wouldn't risk the curse he'd willingly fire at you should he be disturbed by your escape attempt."

Hermione's brows shot up nearly to her hairline, and with that, Draco stormed out of the room, apparently now in a fowl mood.

* * *

Having not had the pleasure of resting in a bed for so long, it wasn't five minutes before Hermione was asleep, nestled into the covers that were lightly covered in Draco's manly scent: a mixture of spices and apples.

Her dreams carried her back to a memory, of the day she first fell in love with one Draco Lucius Malfoy.

_ She was walking up to the Head's dormitory, books in hand, hoping that when she got there she could avoid a confrontation with Michael Corner about his desire to take her on a date. She'd avoided him for weeks, only discussing Head and Prefect duties with him when needed. Otherwise, she did her best to avoid the lusty looks he shot at her every time she entered their shared common room._

_ Hermione scowled, grudging spending another several hours locked up in her own room, avoiding the shared area. In her hurry, she whirled around a corner and whammed into a very solid being. Her books tumbled to the floor, and she let out a very loud profanity._

_ "Didn't know you swore, Granger," came a familiar drawl._

_ Looking up, Hermione captured the grey eyes of the man who had become her fixation and relief. For weeks, they had actually begun to talk, both being naturally isolated beings due to their loneliness: her, missing her best friends, and he, outcast for his involvement with Dumbledore the previous year. They had talked about his Death Eater status, something he begrudged and despised, and wished with all his being that he could take back what he had done. He had been kind, she had found, nothing like the bully she had once known._

_ She smirked at him. "You learn something new everyday. Help me pick these up, would you?"_

_ In silence, they gathered her books back into her arms. An awkward moment passed when nothing was said, and just as Hermione was about to excuse herself, Draco opened his mouth._

_ "Granger… Hermione, I was wondering if maybe you would perhaps do me the pleasure of coming with me to Hogsmeade this evening," he rushed out._

_ This was the first time she had ever seen Draco Malfoy nervous of something, and she felt her heart stop beating at his request. "Like, a date?" she asked._

_ He rolled his eyes. "Of course as a date. Over the last few weeks I've gotten to know you as a friend. I would, if given the opportunity, like to get to know you as more," he admitted, his grey eyes soft on her face. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her neck and she shivered._

_ Despite her mind screaming at her that Harry and Ron would never accept this, given that he was indeed an ex-Death Eater (having defected after his involvement with Dumbledore's death and decided to remain neutral when the war came around, a decision she highly respected), she found herself nodding in agreement. She excused herself to run to her dormitory to change and drop off her books, and agreed to meet him at the front entrance in ten minutes._

_ Her heart racing, she rushed up to her dormitory, rushed out the password, and hurried inside, ignoring Corner's greeting completely, locking her bedroom door behind her. She dumped her books on her desk, and stripped off her uniform. It was mild outside, warm yet with a cool breeze, so she opted for a white summer dress and sandals. Grabbing her wand, beaded bag, and some Galleons, she rushed back out of the dormitory without uttering a single word to Corner, focused only on meeting Draco on time._

_ As she appeared at the front entrance to the castle, she spotted Draco standing just outside, allowing the breeze to blow about his wisps of white-blond hair. His eyes were closed in the glare of the setting sun. She had never once seen him so peaceful, nor beautiful. His white shirt hugged his figure, revealing his sleek Seekers build, and his usual black dress pants hugged his thighs and buttocks. He was a striking figure, and Hermione found herself slowing her pace so she could admire for just a moment longer._

_ "Hermione," greeted Draco with a soft smile, something she had grown accustomed to seeing over the last few weeks. "Shall we?"_

_ She nodded, momentarily noticing the way his eyes roved over her figure freely, lustily almost. It made blush rise to her cheeks as she took his arm and they began walking._

_ "I think the Three Broomstick's has a really good chicken and leek pie that you ought to try," Draco said as they reached the pub, grinning._

_ Swinging the door open, he allowed her to pass first, being a gentleman, and offered her a seat at a table near the back of the pub. Madame Rosmerta took their orders and brought them their wine, and they settled into the darkened corner of the pub._

_ "I want to admit something to you, Granger," said Draco, breaking up their conversation about Potions they had been previously having. Their dinner's had been delicious, and he was certainly right about the chicken and leek pie._

_ "Go on," Hermione said, taking a sip of her wine._

_ Draco inhaled deeply. "You know I defected from the Dark Lord's side, so as to remain neutral rather than become involved. I was, originally, planning on being Switzerland in that sense," he said, chuckling. "However, something has changed._

_ "Over the past weeks, I've gotten to know you, not as the Mudblood I used to despise because you were better than me, but as the woman you've grown to me. You must understand, I did indeed hate you once." He gave his patented Malfoy scowl. "I hate who I used to be. I was narrow, prejudiced, and a bigot."_

_ Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with a wave of his hand, insisting he continue._

_ "I know you, Hermione. You are beautiful, you are smarter than I ever though you would be, and you are brave; a true Gryffindor at heart, much to my chagrin as a pure Slytherin._

_ "I've decided… I've decided I want more with you. I want to be with you, and I understand if you won't have me because of Scarhead and the Weasel, but I want you, as more than a friend."_

_ Hermione was silent when he finished, her brain churning at a million miles a second. Never in her life had she expected such an admission. Long moments passed as she thought, but she was prompted to life again when Draco let out a sigh._

_ "I understand," he said. "I get it, it's fine."_

_ Confused as he made to leave, she stopped him. "No, Draco, sorry. I was a bit stunned," she admitted._

_ Cautiously, he sat back down. She realized how much he was giving her then. He was a Malfoy, after all, and to make oneself so vulnerable to another was breaking an unspoken law._

_ It was then that she smiled at him, and scooted her chair around the table to sit close to him, close enough to whisper in his ear. "I want you, too, Draco."_

_ Apparently, that was all he needed to hear, because he turned his face to hers and blessed her with a kiss so scorching that she thought her heart was about to jump out of her chest. She kissed back with ardor, loving his taste, his scent, the way it swallowed her whole._

_ When they broke for air, he rested his forehead against hers. "Gods, Hermione, I would have you here on this table right now if it were socially acceptable."_

_ She blushed fiercely, but did not move from her close proximity with him. "Then you can have me elsewhere, somewhere more private," she whispered, her heart thundering in her chest with the thought of what was to come. "Let's go to my room."_

_ His wicked grin in response was enough, and they hurried out of the Three Broomsticks, chucking their money down on the bar for Rosmerta. Nearly sprinting, they dashed back up to the school, ignoring the curious looks of passersby who were also heading back from Hogsmeade after an evening visit, as was permitted for the seventh years._

_ When they got to Hermione's door, she hurriedly muttered the password and dragged Draco inside after her, feeling bold and desperate to taste him again. Corner was sitting in the common room still, and stuttered insensibly as he witnessed Draco entering their room._

_ "What is that son of a bitch doing here?" Corner finally got out._

_ Draco chuckled darkly, sliding his hand in Hermione's, clearly enjoying the puce color Corner's face had taken on. "Language, Corner."_

_ "He's with me, Michael. We'll be in my room," Hermione said, dragging Draco behind her again, noting the now purple tone of her co-Heads face._

_ Slamming the door behind them, Draco shoved Hermione against it and kissed her once more, ravishing her lips and neck with fervent desperation, as eager to taste her as she was to taste him._

_ "The bed, Draco," she managed to get out through the haze of pleasure his ministrations on a particularly sensitive area of her neck had caused._

_ He picked her up, and it was then that she could feel just how hard he was under his trousers. It sent shivers up her spine at the thought of what they were about to do. She was not a virgin, having lost her virginity to Ron the year previous, but seeing as that had never worked out, she was free to be with Draco._

_ She figured that with the war about to happen, why not? She would enjoy it while she could. Hermione stopped thinking at that point, as Draco threw her down on the bed, ripping off her underwear and unfastening her sandals with nimble fingers. He ordered her to sit up, and she obliged, allowing him to rip her dress over her head, leaving her in just her bra._

_ She lay on her back and watched as he undressed hastily before her, feeling the place between her thighs moisten at the sight of his glorious body. Pale, unblemished skin except for three scars on his chest. She realized they were from Harry's _Sectumsempra_ curse. His shoulders were broad, but he was lithe and slim, with defined abdominals. She thought she would rather enjoy running her tongue between the crevices there._

_ When his pants came off, Hermione licked her lips hungrily. A small patch of golden curls surrounded his perfect sex._

_ Draco grinned as he caught her watching. "Take off the bra, gorgeous. Let me see all of you."_

_ She did as he asked, flinging her bra over her head and lying on her back once more, loving the way his eyes roved her body with undiluted lust and hunger. "So fucking perfect," he muttered to himself._

_ In a flash, Draco was on his knees, running a tongue between her legs and making her cry out in need. He gripped her hips and pinned her to the bed, eating her out with greater skill than she'd ever experienced before. He had her orgasming in mere minutes, crying out as stars swum before her eyes._

_ The next moment, he was on top of her, kissing her fiercely. He pulled back and lowered himself into her, and in that moment time stopped and all she could see was grey-silver eyes, staring at her with such lust and want, she lost herself._

_ When he began to move in her, Hermione knew she would never be able to let him go, to let this go. She knew she would crave him, want him, and love him more than anything in the world. She was his, as he was hers. And as they reached their climaxes together, an unspoken pact was made where they would stand side by side, and weather every storm together._

_ It was in the morning when she awoke, tangled in her sheets with a warm Draco next to her, still in slumber, that she realized he felt the same way about her. The fact that he had stayed, despite his renowned reputation as a womanizer, spoke volumes. She placed a chaste kiss on his lips, and her heart stopped as he mumbled in his sleep three impossible and perfect words: "Love you, Granger."_

* * *

Hermione bolted awake to reality in Draco's bed in the cave to find the room still empty. Briefly, she wondered how long she'd been sleeping. She brushed her cheek and felt hot tears.

Quietly, she sobbed, crying for the loss of her innocence and the love of this impossible, gorgeous man who wanted her still, even after everything.

**A/n: Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry for not updating sooner, exams are making things hectic. Let me know what you think. Disclaimer: JK Rowling and Susanne Collins own any characters and concepts from Harry Potter and the Hunger Games.**


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